Midnight Court
The Midnight Court(s), or Cúirteanna Meán Oíche is a vast collection of Mekhet princedoms that control the majority of southern Ireland. They are the primary rivals of the Baronies of Avalon. History British Invasion The Midnight Court was established in 1168 in response to the British invasion of Ireland, and the subsequent Avalonian kindred invasion. For nearly thirty years the war remained cold; pupetteering of mortal populations (in this case, manipulating Normans to fight the Anglo-Saxons), battles of influence, and political intrigue. However as with all things, eventually the cold war ended. The conflict escalated when the Midnight Court hatched a plan to assassinate King Henry; the first Saxon king to step foot on Irish soil. This plan backfired however, as the territories that King Henry conquered were placed under the authority of his son, John Lackland. After Henry's death, the Saxon holdings in Ireland fell directly under the British crown, giving them direct control of the island. King John Things got worse under King John. Lackland's plan for the subduing of Ireland consisted of undermining the stability of the region. Encouraging petty nobles to rise up against their Lords, revolutions broke out across Ireland. This continued for decades and finally during the mid-13th century, the Normans, who were puppets of the Courts, suffered their first major defeat. This cycle of destabilization and subsequent military conquest continued for nearly a century right up until the black plague. The Midnight Courts had a plan. Black Death The Black Death's arrival in Ireland was no accident. The Midnight Court was losing the battle in Ireland and something had to be done quickly. With the rapid spread of the Black Death in Europe, Mekhet agitators ventured to Europe and willingly subjected themselves to the plague. With their dead bodies never succumbing to the disease, they became carriers. Feeding on the mortal populations of Saxon Ireland, the Black Death spread across Ireland like, well, a plague; severely weakening Saxon rule. Gaelic Resurgence The vast majority of native Irish lived in rural areas, which served to protect themselves from the plague. The Saxons were not so lucky. With the Avalonians food supply tainted, their population shrunk. Wanting to flee the crumbling Saxon-dominated Irish country, a large portion of the Barons fled Ireland back into Scotland. And by the 15th century, after nearly 300 years of conflict, the Midnight Courts took control of Ireland. The Baronies wouldn't return until the Tudor conquest of Ireland over 150 years later. Modern Day The conflict between the Midnight Courts and the Baronies of Avalon would continue for hundreds of years after the Resurgence. However as the modern day rapidly approached, the hot conflict fell by the wayside. Politics and government bodies were the primary methods of conflict. The Midnight Court and the Baronies of Avalon took a backseat. The Courts retreated to the south of the island, while the Barons entrenched in the north. However with the outbreak of WW2, Ireland faced several goods shortages which threatened the stability of both factions. War is once again approaching from the horizon, while an ancient stirs in their centuries old slumber. Organization The Midnight Courts are organized as follows: * Princes: Princes rule over their own cities and villages, enacting and enforcing laws as they see fit. * Kings: Kings are princes who are highly valued for their knowledge and wisdom. They are some of the oldest Princes, but not necessarily the most politically powerful. Their role is primarily for arbitration; settling disputes between Princes. * Courtiers: Courtiers make up the various offices in a Prince's court. Their roles and responsibilities are largely up to the Princes, as there is no defined position. * Mayors: Mayors are appointed by Kindred to oversee the vast rural areas of Ireland, typically laying claim to half a dozen villages or more. While the Midnight Courts often act independent from one another, there are times where an emergency council is created, and each Prince is expected to attend their sessions. This is typically only done in times of great crisis or war. Mekhet Methuselah There are rumors that the entire Midnight Court is ruled in shadow by an ancient sleeping methuselah. There have been several attempts to route out and find this ancient undertaken by the Avalonians, but every venture has ended in failure.